Number of rental properties in Ireland leaps after new rules but Dublin still down year-on-year
The number of rental properties in Ireland has rebounded after new rules came into effect in March.But availability in Dublin is still down year-on-year as cities such as Galway, Cork, Waterford and Limerick showed modest increases. The availability levels have improved comparative to one year ago, but are still below pre-pandemic levels according to Daft.ie's latest data.On April 1 2026 there were 2,461 homes to rent in Ireland - a 5% increase compared to the same time in 2025. It's a stark jump from only three months earlier when the number of homes available to rent were below 1,200 on January 1 2026.While the availability has almost doubled, it is still far below the average of 4,366 homes available between 2015 and 2019. The change in legislation introduced in March overhauled the rent pressure zone system, allowing landlords to put rents at market rates after years of limited increases.According to Ronan Lyons, professor of economics at Trinity College Dublin, this raised questions about whether the drop in rentals was landlords waiting for new rules or landlords leaving the market. He warned that rental availability is still low compared to historical standards.He said: "These new figures suggest that holding off cannot explain the full decline in rental listings since last summer. The 900 additional listings in February and March, compared to the same two months last year, are less than half of the fall of 2,300 in homes listed for rent between July and January."Want to see more of the stories you love from Dublin Live? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives, top stories and must-read content straight away. To add Dublin Live as a preferred source, simply click here.Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content.We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice .
